Policeman assaults journalist over Social Media Bill protests

 Sanni Onogu, Abuja

A JOURNALIST was assaulted by a policeman on Wednesday while covering a protest against the Social Media Bill in Abuja.

Dozens of protesters marched on the National Assembly complex demanding suspension of the bill.

During the protest, a policeman, Adiogu Enyinnaya, assaulted Tosin Busayo of Roots Television. He seized the journalist’s camera.

Busayo’s offence, according to the policeman, was that he filmed another police officer who was trying to prevent the protesters from going into the complex.

Enyinnaya, who led the police cordon, beat the journalist with his baton and forcibly took his camera.

“Why would you be filming the policemen?” he demanded while threatening to arrest Busayo.

Other reporters protested, some pleaded, before Enyinnaya released the camera.

The protesters demanded for the stoppage of the social media bill and the release of Omoyele Sowore, Abba Jalingo and others currently held by security agencies against court orders.